The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-09
FINDLAY'S GAS WELLS.
Opening Day of the Great Celebration-Lay-
ing the Corner-Stones of New Workshops.

FINDLAY O., June 8-The great natural cas-
celebration opened here this morning under
most favorable auspices. Tho city is decorated
in the most lavish manner. Fifty eight arches
span the main street. all bearing mottoss and
all arranged with s-pipes and burners, which,
upon each night of the festival, will be lighted
and permitted 20 burn all night Thirty thou
sand gas jets will be in flame tonight, besides
those heretofore in use. The thirty one gas wells
of fFindlay have all been piped into the city to
aid in the illumination. The crowds have been
coming in all day, and it is estimated that by
night there will be at least thirty Thousand
strangers in the city. The exercises began this
morning by q reception of the guests at the
Chamber of Commerce, after which procession
was formed which reached, at 8 o'clock, to the
Lake Erie g. Western railroad depot, where
special trains carried the party to the grounds
where the cornerstone of the Lagrange rolling
mill was laid with appropriate ceremonies and
amid great applause. After this the corner
stones of other manufacturing establishments
were laid in the following order: Moore Chair
and Furniture Company; Union boiler works;
Ohio Coil and Cable-chain works; Findlay Door
and Sash Manufacturing Company, and Ohio
lantern works.
A visit was then made to the great gas and oil
wells near the city This afternoon there was
military drill of the Patriarchs Militant at
Camp Garfield which contested for 81 900 in
prizes, $3.50 to the best company and $3.50 to the
second best The afternoon exercises concluded
with a visit to the various manufacturing estab-
lishnents in operation.
The aggregate daily output of gas wells in and
about Findlay is 90 900, 900 cubic feet. This has
caused the location of thirty substantial
factories at Findiay within twelve months.
In 1872 the troops that marched to the support
of Detroit rendezvoused here, under General
James F1ndlay from whom the town got it's
name Nearly every city, town aud valley
through this section of Ohio and Indi-
ana sent here today military company,
a band or division of uniformed rank of some
secret order. There is q notable gathering of
canto of Patriarchs Militant and of Uniformed
Rank of Knights of Pythias. These two orders
superntended the laying of the corner stones.
There win be more soldiers here than there were
at Washington during tie national drill. Battery
B, of Cincinnati which attracted much at
to-day In the afternoon there was a drill for
tons of Patriarchs Militant. The first prize, $3.50,
by Marion, Ind. canton, the second by
Muncie, Ind, canton.
The main street of Findlay is spanned from
end to end with arches. from which blaze great
plumes of flames. The wigwam, in which Sher-
man and others are to speak, is covered with
globes of coaored glass. and before it the great
Karg well is burning with roar that can be
heard miles away. The whole country is lighted
up for distance of twenty miles. On Thurs
day there will be drills for large prizes. and in
tho evening Senator Sherman, Gen. Thomas
Powell and Governor Foraker will make
speeches, and papers will be read by biologists
of note.